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Alumnus’ Film Fuses Adventure, Environmental Awareness

Monday, May 10, 2010

In 1968, intrepid adventurists Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins loaded a second-hand panel van with surfboards, climbing gear and camping supplies, started the ignition and headed south on an epic journey from Ventura, Calif., straight into the heart of the unknown. Theirs was a story that would become the stuff of legend, and one that would inspire generations of sturdy-soled wanderers to find their own path in life.

On Friday, May 7, some 42 years later, Tim Lynch ’95 (Communication Studies) stood outside the University of San Diego’s Shiley Theatre and displayed a mix of excitement and anxiousness prior to a screening of “180° South,” a documentary film he has produced. The film follows the experiences of surfer, climber and writer Jeff Johnson as he retraces Chouinard and Tompkin’s grand trek from Southern California to Patagonia, a vast and unspoiled region located in southernmost South America.

“I’ve really been looking forward to showing this film here at USD,” said Lynch (pictured, at right) as he surveyed the swelling crowd waiting to enter the theater. “It’s kind of funny, actually. Obviously, Yvon and Doug’s experience was totally different, but this is kind of a start to a big journey for me as well, and I can understand how excited and nervous they felt.” (Full Story on Inside USD)